Wheel suspension



June 24, 1941.Y c. c. UTZ 4 WHEEL SUSPENSION Filed Feb. l0, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l /NVENTOR .6. Z/Zz.

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` ,Imi-f;V 24, 1941.

C. YC. UTZ

WHEEL SUSPENSION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' Filed Feb. l0. 1939 NVENTR C". z $63.4 r/mz ATTORNEYS Patented June 24, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT WHEEL SUSPENSION Application February 1I), 1939, Serial No. 255,576

OFFICE 2 Claims.

This invention relates to spring suspension for motor vehicles and specifically to improved suspension mechanism for the rear driven axle thereof.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a suspension mechanism for a motor vehicle in which coil springs are used in place of the conventional leaf springs to suspend the driven axle from the frame whereby inter-leaf friction is entirely eliminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide a suspension for the driven axle in which the thrust incident to the driving of the vehicle is transmitted to the frame through a rigid linkage rather than through the springs.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a suspension which possesses the necessary flexibility to impart desirable riding qualities to the vehicle Without undesirable gallop or flutter of the unsprung parts when travelling over rough roads.

A still further object is to provide a suspension for the driven axle which permits rocking movement of said axle without imposing undesirable torsional strains on the housing thereof.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of one side of a motor vehicle chassis embodying the suspension, it being understood that the mechanism is duplicated on the other side of the vehicle.

Fig. 1A is a plan View on a reduced scale of the complete vehicle chassis.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the motor vehicle integral rearwardly extending portion 2li on Which a coil spring 2| is supported. A resilient pad 23 is interposedbetween the lower coil of the spring and the bracket 2i] to which the spring is secured by fastening means 22. The spring is secured at rthe top to the box portion 24 of the chassis frame by means of the fastening means 25, a resilient pad 25 being interposed between the upper coil of the spring and the flange of the chassis frame member as shown in Fig. 2.

The bracket I8 is also provided with a channelshaped up-right portion 2l (Fig. 5) to which is pivoted by means of a bolt 29 a lower radius arm 28. A resilient sleeve 3l] of rubber or similar material is interposed between the arm 28 and the bushing 3| which surrounds bolt 29. Arm

28 is pivoted at its forward end to the bra-cket 32 which extends downwardly from the chassis frame side member II as shown more clearly in Figs. 2 and 4. A resilient connection similar to that just described is provided. The bracket 32 is rigidly supported on a box-like structure formed by the frame members I I and I2 and the gusset members 33 and 34.

An upper radius arm 35 is pivoted at its rearward end to a bracket 36 formed integrally with the axle I3 and at its forward end to a bracket 31 fastened to one wall of the box structure just described. A pair of resilient sleeves are interposed between their respective brackets and pivoted bolts to provide a resilient connection.

A shock absorber 38 is suitably attached to the frame and axle respectively and assists the spring 2| in cushioning the movement of the axle with Chassis shown in Fig. 1. respect t0 the frame.

Fig, 3 is a rear elevation of the chassis of Figs, The mechanism just described is duplicated on 1 and 2 along @no une 3 3 of Fig 1 the opposite side of the vehicle as indicated by Fig. 4. is a section along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2. the real' VGW thereof in Fg- 3- Fig, 5 is a, Section along the lino 5....5 of Fg- 2. In order to maintain the frame and axle in Fig. 6 is a section along the line 6-6 of Fig. 3. 40 alignment. a bar 4U pVGted at One end t0 the Fig 7 is 3, Soci-,ion a1ong the lino 1 .1 of Fig. 3. frame mounted bracket 43 and at its other end 1n the drawings in which similar reference to the axle mounted bracket 44 is provided. characters designate corresponding parts in the Rubber bushings 42 and 45 are DI'OVded 'G0 Del'- following description, II designates a side chanmit some degree of universal movement between nel member of the vehicle chassis frame which 45 the Dartshas tno usual kiok up portion ||f over the rear From the description it will readily be seen axle and the usual )(-braoe member I2, The that axle I3 forms one side of a parallelogram, rear driving axle I3 is provided with the usual the links 23 and 35 flmng the WO lOIlgeI Sides differential housing I4 which contains a set of thereof- AS the axle moves upwardly and downdifferential gears driven by the propeller shaft I5. Wardly during travel of the vehicle, it will also The vehicle fuel tank I6 is suspended from the frame at the rear end of the vehicle by means of a bracket I'I.

A bracket I8 is attached to the axle I3 by means of the U-bolts I9 and is provided with lan have slight backward and forward movement but because of the parallelogram linkage at each side thereof, there will be no twisting strains set u p in the axle housing. Because of the resilient connections between the links 28 and 35 and Although but one embodiment of my inven-` tion is described, it is not desired to limit the same except as set forth in the claims appended.

hereto.

I claim: 1. In a motor vehicle, the combination of a frame including side sills connected by Vobliquely` disposed brace members; of driving road :Wheels disposed at opposite sides of said frame; means yieldingly supporting said road wheels for'rising` and falling movement with respect to said frame, said means comprising an axle housing disposed transversely of said.. frame and carrying, saidv wheels;,.spring means supportingv said axle on;

saidframe: adjacent'each wheel; anda pair of parallel links pivotally connected to said axle at each side of the vehicle, each of said pairs of links being connected to said side sills and said brace members at points adjacent the connection of said brace members to said sills,

2. In a motor vehicle, a frame having side sills, means for reinforcing said frame comprising brace members connected between said sills and disposed' obliquely relatively thereto, additional brace members connecting said sills and said rst named brace members at points adjacent the connection between said first named brace members and said sills to form a rigid box-like structure at each side of the vehicle, an axle yieldably connected to said frame, means for guiding said axle for rising and falling movement relatively to the frame including a pair of links disposedin. parallelism at each side of the vehicleand, pivoted at one end thereof to said axle, and means carried by said box-like structuresfforrpivotally connecting the opposite'ends of-.saidlinks to saidframe.

CHESTERC, UTZ.` 

